Skin and Bones
by LittleMissSyreid
Summary: On a planet thats name is yet to be discovered, a terrible plague inhabits the main desert. Having claimed many victims so far, the local townspeople send a distress beacon which, luckily for them, the Doctor and Clara, intercept. However, this villain won't be easy to fight or find...
1. Chapter 1: Planet Unknown

The land was bare and decrepit. A harsh wind lifted a blanket of dust from the ground and threw it around, mercilessly. The ground itself was dry and cracked with a heat emanating from it that was impressive but nothing in comparison to the blistering heat that the sun forced upon the atmosphere.

Adjacent to the desert-like biome was a forest that was of a significantly different climate. The heat was not obvious and the shade from the canopy of trees provided a cool shelter for the wildlife that lived there. Yet no animal nor any other form of life dared travel to the deserted and scorching neighbour of the forest and not just because of the unbearable conditions.

A grumbling sound could be heard from the depths of the desert and a fierce force shook the ground itself simultaneously. Tiny rocks and other debris fell into the cracks between the earth as a result of the vibrations. The grumbling continued to get louder and louder until the appearance of a young girl stopped it in a split second.

The girl had ripped clothing which, had they been intact possibly would not have looked much better. She had dirt all over her person and her face was sore, scratched and red. Her legs were also cut and bruised and her feet had no protection so were consequently blistered horrifically. She burst through the edge of the forest and fell over - into the desert. What sounded like a gasp and whispers could be heard coming from the forest as she left it behind her. It was as if the animals were not so much trying to warn her but almost surprised that she didnt know about something that was in that desert.

Nonetheless, she scrambled up and hurried further in to the dreadful place. When she was far enough in, the grumbling that had been heard before started up again and and gradually become more violent until once more the floor shook. However, this time, it didn't show any signs of stopping. Instead it grew in volume until the shaking was so violent that the cracks in the earth began to grow and get bigger. At this point the girl was stood idle and wathing in horror at what was unfolding before her eyes.

As the cracks grew in size, they all collaboratively became one giant crack that still continued to grow in size. It was the width and length of the desert itself and the girl had no-where to run. The gaping hole reached her feet and the floor crumbled under her weight. She let out a frightened scream as she plunged down, the chasm beneath her seeming endless. Her hands scrambled for something to grab on to but it was to no avail. She helplessly continued to fall to her death and as the grumbling grew quieter, the vibrations stopped and the girl could see the crack she had fallen through, closing. As the hole in the earth closed above her head, she let out one final scream in a last effort to comfort herself before the darkness that meant her oncoming death, enveloped her.


	2. Chapter 2: Making Friends

A loud vworping sound came from the depths of the forest and gushes of wind from one spot in particular sent the tree branches flying in all sorts of directions. The animals ran in fear and hid in various foliage as a strange blue box materialised in front of them. At the sound of a soft, dull 'boom' all movement stopped and the blue box remained motionless in the middle of the green scenery. A curious animal stepped out of a bush and sniffed the blue box. It quickly scurried for cover as the door swung open and an oddly dressed man stepped outside;

"I'm telling you Clara, this is where the distress beacon was coming from!" He proclaimed, rather loudly. A casually and more normally dressed young girl stepped out of the box as well.

"And I'm not disputing that - I am simply saying, what if it wasn't a distress beacon and maybe it was a dangerous, evil, warrior traction beam!" The girl exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air to intensify her point.

"My TARDIS is very clever, in case you hadn't noticed, and I think she would tell me if it was - as you put it - a dangerous, evil, warrior traction beam." The man stated. The girl tutted and folded her arms however she couldn't help but smile as the man stood with a strange buzzing device and began pointing it at everything.

The curious animal began to become even more interested in the strangers that had appeared in his home and so gradually came out to investigate. He somewhat resembled a raccoon but he was significantly bigger (about the size of a very large, fat cat), had huge fluffy paws with no claws and was black all over besides a white chest area. His darkness in colour hid him very well as he lingered in the shadows and inspected the visitors. He wished to remain unseen until he had fully deduced the intention of these people. The girl who he had inferred as Clara leant against the large blue box and opened the small satchel she had over her shoulder. From it she withdrew several biscuits which she then proceeded to munch on as she watched the strange man running about with his buzzing machine.

The man turned around and noticed her eating and proceeded to say;

"I bring you to an amazing alien planet full of wonder and mystery to see if we can help in the lives of people capable of sending a distress beacon through all of space and time and you stand there eating...biscuits?"

"Yeah." She replied without hesitating.

"Give us one then." He said, holding out his hand. She placed a biscuit in his hand which he then bit into before walking away with his buzzing machine again.

Several crumbs fell onto the ground, catching the attention of the the curious animal. He cautiously stepped out of the cover of dark and crept towards the feet of the girl. Upon reaching them he helped himself to the crumbs on the floor whilst keeping an eye on the towering figure above him.

Clara watched intently as the Doctor whizzed around, zapping everything with the sonic screwdriver. The facial expressions he pulled after looking at each set of results were priceless - Clara couldn't help but giggle. She polished off the last of her biscuits and looked down at her bag before beginning to open it for more. However, she noticed a pair of ears from underneath her bag and stepped away. She noticed the small creature and giggled before quietly whispering to The Doctor;

"You're not the only one who likes my biscuits."

The Doctor stopped what he was doing and wandered over. He knelt down and began talking to the animal, who responded in a series of clicks and whistles. He then tickled him behind the ear, picked him up and cradled him before walking towards Clara. He placed the animal in her arms and said;

"His name is Bard."

"How do you know that?"

"I speak everything." He says, grinning.

"And he seems to like you so you can have him."

"Well, ok then!" She said. She tickled Bard under his chin and then opened up her satchel and put him in. He dug around and then pulled out a biscuit which he then slowly began to munch on.

"So Doctor," Clara said,

"When are we going to find the people who sent the distress beacon?"

"Well," The Doctor started,

"That is what I am hoping the Sonic will tell me but I can't seem to get anything from it. Something is blocking the signal."

"Can I suggest something a little more old fashioned?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"On whether it's a good idea or not." Clara frowned at this but then continued.

"Well, why don't we ask someone?"

"Like who?" The Doctor folded his arms in curiosity. Clara pulled Bard out of her bag and held him up to the Doctor. First impressions for Bard's intellect were not looking good. As Clara held him up, he was halfway through a biscuit which hung from his mouth with a little bit of drool. His huge eyes were also on other things. Clara then said;

"You say that the TARDIS matrix can translate me into another language?"

"It worked on that submarine, didn't it?"

"And it will translate him back?"

"Should do." The Doctor was now leaning against his sexy police box and waiting with a big smile on his face simply because he loved the confidence of his new companion.

"Right then. Bard? Do you know anything about a distress beacon?" At which the Doctor burst out laughing.

"What?" Clara exclaimed.

"Well, for starters you're asking the wrong sort of questions. I mean, look at him, he probably doesn't even know what a distress beacon is!"

"Well, how should I know that? The things you've shown me - he could know anything." Bard then snorted and spat out the limp, soggy biscuit that was still in his mouth and said;

"Thank you for defending me Miss Clara but while I dislike the manner in which he put it, the man with the odd neckwear is correct. I have no knowledge of any distress beacon."

"Hey!" The Doctor said, adjusting his Bow Tie.

"It's cool."

"Sir, I know not where you came from but if there is any planet out there in which such an accessory is, as you said, 'cool', I would not wish to meet the inhabitants." Bard said with a very regal tone. Clara was laughing now and watching the Doctor awkwardly shift his Bow Tie left and right. He shot her a glance and so she shut up and continued talking to Bard.

"Do you know anywhere that would have the capability of sending a distress beacon?"

"There is a village not far from this spot. West, If my memory serves me correctly." Bard stated.

"Thanks!" Clara said before placing Bard in her bag once again.

"Not too shabby, eh?" She continued, folding her arms and grinning. The Doctor hastily made into the TARDIS and pulled out a box that rattled loudly. He sat - cross legged - on the floor with it and looked through before pulling out a rusty, circular item.

"A universal direction filter, shows us which way to go." He lifted the lid and showed it to Clara. She immediately recognised the red and white arrows.

"Doctor, it's just a compass."

"No, its not. Every planet has a different magnetic field so a normal earth compass wouldn't work here. Therefore, it is a universal direction filter."

"Doctor, it says 'Made in China". Why would it be universal if it was made in china?" Clara pointed out."

"Because shut up - that's why." He replied. He spun round in a circle until he was satisfied that they were going perfectly west and then he strode off with Clara and Bard walking behind him.


	3. Chapter 3: Treehouse Village

The TARDIS still stood, motionless, in the middle of the now busy forest. The branches of nearby trees rested on her and animals and frequently visited her out of curiosity. But something stirred in the darkness of the forest. Something big and scary and horrific. Animals ran in terror out of the shadows and fled far and wide. The shadow of the beast over looked the TARDIS. A grumble came from the shadow and vibrations stirred through the ground. The trembles travelled through the earth and found their way to the box. At that moment a horrible sound that sounded like metal scratching and screeching came from inside the TARDIS. Lights flashed from inside her and her materialisation sound began as she tried to escape but it was too late. The flashing lights gradually faded away and the sounds of the TARDIS slowed down and died. The shadow then retreated faster thn a speeding bullet...

The Doctor and Clara reached a clearing and decided to stop for a rest. Clara pulled Bard from her satchel and lay him on the ground as he stretched out yawned.

"I don't know what you're tired for - you didn't walk anywhere." Clara giggled. She left Bard be and wandered over to the Doctor.

"Can you see anything?" She asked.

"Not yet but I can't concentrate. Something is very wrong and I can't put my finger on it." he said in response.

"Well, we are here because of an emergency call. Maybe we are close to the village and you are feeling the nerves they feel." Clara suggested.

"Maybe. This is assuming the villagers are the ones who sent the call." He pulled the compass out of his pocket and examined it. It confirmed they were still travelling west so he couldn't work out why the hadn't reached the village yet. It was then that Clara tapped him on his shoulder.

"What is it?" He asked not looking up from the compass.

"I found the village." She said gazing up in awe at something. The Doctor followed her gaze and looked up and saw the village. It was impeccable. The trees had houses built on and around them. The entire billage was made of treehouses! There were amazing structures and fantastic rope bridges and brillianty built homes that were all made of wood and rope and built on top of the trees!

"This is fantastic!" Clara exclaimed.

"Isn't it just?" Said The Doctor. They noticed a rope ladder hanging down from one of the bridges and proceeded to climb it to the top. The Doctor pulled Clara up and turned around to come face-to-face with a spear.

"Who are you?" Said the woman at the end of the weapon. The Doctor flashed his Psychic Paper and said;

"Chief Tribesman of the Earth Clan, here to talk to the head of your communications department about a distress call." The woman was hesitant at first but then lowered her weapon. She replied with;

"Right, I'm not allowed to talk directly to those up top but I can take you to someone who can." She said as she strutted quicklky off up the rope bridges.

"Much obliged." The Doctor shrugged at Clara and followed in the tracks of the woman. Clara figured that he would be alright on his own. She fancied a look around anyway. She rested her hand on Bard's head and stroked hi gently, taking in the surroundings.

She wandered randomly for a bit, looking at the houses. Then she walked to the edge of a wooden platform that she had climbed to and looked at the views up to the horizon. At the edge of the forest was a desert that seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see.

Suddenly, a woman ran up to her screeching and crying. She fell to her knees and began weeping and screaming;

"MY CHILD! IT TOOK MY CHILD!" She screamed, tears pouring down her face. Clara was taken aback at first but she collected herself and got down on one knee. She put her hands on the woman's shoulders and looked deep into her eyes.

"Calm down. Hey, what's happened?" She said calmly and quietly.

"My daughter, Zahira... W-W-We went to hunt and we were attacked by some wild pigs a-a-and my daughter she ran!"

"Well, that's not too bad is it, maybe she is still out there?"

"No, IT TOOK HER, I-I-IT ATE HER!"

"What? The pig?"

"No, N-N-No. She ran and I followed her" The tears were streaming faster now as she tried to recollect.

"She ran into the desert and the floor swallowed her whole."

"Was it quicksand?"

"No, the floor... I-I-It roared and shook and opened my daughter fell in screaming and shouting. I could only watch... It was awful...Her screams...They were terrifying..." Clara was speechless. She couldn't begin to comprehend what was going through this woman's mind as she kneeled on the floor in a sobbing mess. Every now and then she would look up at the sky with her hands together and scream to the gods. The sound of this mourning mother made Clara's heart hurt.

"Here we are." said the woman. The Doctor nodded as a thanksand entered the house. It was not as well built as the other houses but the lights shining from inside looked like a good sign as he pushed the rickety door open. He looked around and saw monitors everywhere. Satellites, computers and all sorts of gadgets that he recognised. The question then occured to him, 'How would they get this sort of technology? Their houses are made of wood." It was then that the chair in the middle of the room spun round and the head underneath a carpet of beautiful, bouncing blonde hair said;

"Hello Sweetie".


	4. Chapter 4: TARDIS translation matrix

"Miss Song." The Doctor said with a grin.

"Actually it's Mrs." She said.

"Really?"

"Oh please, you of all people should know I am a married woman now." She replied.

"Who's the lucky fella'?" The Doctor was slowly pacing the floor towards her.

"Spoilers." She whispered as she adjusted his bow tie. They were pressed against each other and smiling like idiots in love. She brushed his hair out of his eye and whispered;

"So what has brought you my way?"

"Distress beacon." He purred.

"Oh yes!" She said and snapped out of her flirtatious mood. The Doctor was momentarily stunned and said;

"Wait, it was you?"

"Well, of course it was me, no-one else has the technology." She said sitting down at her massive chair.

"But why?" The Doctor responded, confused.

"Well, after Mum and Dad...you know..." She spoke softly as she saw The Doctor's face drop.

"I decided to spend my years travelling the worlds and stumbled across this place. Still don't know the name of it yet but awful nice place." She began tapping away at a nearby computer.

"So, why the distress beacon then?"

"This is why" She said, loading a picture on the screen. It was a desert that made the Doctor feel warm just looking at it. The floor was crack all over and next to it was a forest.

"Somewhere in there is something awful. Many first hand accounts have said that the floor is opening up and eating people. They used to be able to cross and hunt in the forest on the other side but now they are too afraid to even venture further into the forest."

"Why does it matter to you?" He said

"I'm not a bad person sweetie - I want to help." She said. The Doctor continued to stare at her in disbelief.

"Ok...Ok...When I got here, there was a little girl on the edge of the forest, crying. Her parents had just tried to cross the desert. I then realised that I was the little girl. I figure that if I can do some good and help others, I'll feel better too." She said sitting back in her chair.

"It hurts Doctor. I know it doesn't look like it but I miss them. And I don't want anyone else to ever have to feel like I do now." She looked up at him. He said nothing for a while but then knelt down and grabbed her hands and said;

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I am so so sorry. I am so sorry I couldn't do anything but you know if I could that I would." A lone tear fell down River's face.

"Melody Pond, I am so sorry." He said and for the first time in a long time he hugged River and as he did he felt like he was hugging Amy - his Pond. The Girl Who Waited. He wasn't going to make River wait any longer. She wiped the tears from her face and said;

"Right then. Let's go. I have someone we can talk to who has seen what the people call 'The Plague'.

Clara was still with the woman. They sat both sat on the floor overlooking the desert, their feet hanging over the edge of the bridge and dangling down. Now the woman had calmed down, Clara was having a good conversation with her and getting some interesting information about what the woman referred to as 'The Plague'. They had been talking for a good 10 or 20 minutes when Clara said;

"I think I had better go and find my friend." But the woman responded in something incomprehensible. It sounded like a different language but even Clara couldn't work out which one. It was an array of whistling and clicking. Clara's face was stunned and this made the woman panic so that she got louder and more scary. She bagan to shake Clara but she still didn't understand anything and so Clara began to panic.

Luckily, The Doctor and a woman came running down the wooden stiarcase in front of her. Clara broke free of the woman's grip and ran into the Doctor's arms.

"I-I-I don't know what she's saying, I can't understand a thing!"

"I know, I know." He reassured her. " We just went to speak someone and they were speaking in their native language again." The blonde woman then spoke;

"Shouldn't the TARDIS translation matrix be decoding their language to us and ours to them?"

"Yes. Yes. I just don't understand!" THe Doctor screamed shaking his hands everywhere in frustration. The woman put her hands on his shoulders and tried to soothe the Doctor. Clara recognised the woman as River Song, the woman whom she had met in Trenzalore a while ago. She also remembered the Doctor saying that she was his wife, which explained a lot based on how they were around each other. Then something clicked about what River had said.

"Did you say the TARDIS translation matrix?" River and The Doctor both looked up.

"Well, yes I did but..." The Doctor came up cose to Clara's face.

"What are you thinking?" he said.

She pulled Bard back out of her bag and once again held him up. He had found some more of Clara's biscuits and had stuffed a significant amount of them into his cheeks. This also caused however, another large amount of saliva to spew from his mouth.

"Bard, do you understand me? Can you talk to me, Bard?" She repeated. Bard just munched away at he biscuits in his mouth.

"I don't see your point." River said with a confused look on her face. Clara continued to explain;

"It isn't just one language - I can't talk to Bard either. The TARDIS translation matrix is down."

"I've considered that Clara but the TARDIS translation matrix doesn't just switch off like that." The Doctor pointed out.

"No but the TARDIS does. While you were running around with the sonic, you said that something was blocking the signal, maybe it was something in the forest or the forest itself! Neither of you have been here before nor do you know it's name. You've just planted the TARDIS in the middle of an unknown forest with a monster I've just heard about called-"

"The Plague" River interrupted.

"Doctor, She's right. We don't know enough about The Plague yet. What if it is in the forest? We have to go and look." River and Clara were now both staring intently at The Doctor who was leaning against the wooden rail of the bridge.

"Doctor!" Clara said.

"Come on!"


	5. Chapter 5: Soul Eater

Clara, River and The Doctor were sprinting through the forest as fast as their legs would carry them. The Doctor was up front whilst Clara and River followed. There was sheer panic on The Doctor's face and it was only driving him to get to the TARDIS faster. His feet were practically a blur and they would have caught on many tree roots had they not been going so fast. They broke through anythng that threatened to slow them down. The Doctor's breathing was so fast that he would have gone blue if his face wasn't white with fear. He ran frightfully fast through all the passages and gaps in the trees, pushing vines out the way jumping over bushes and attacking the long grass. Eventually, Clara and River just couldn't keep up and fell behind. The Doctor was undeterred however and kept running. Even though he was going so quick, time just seemed to drag on - he almost didn't want to reach the TARDIS. He didn't want to know what terrible fate had befallen his beautiful box... But then he reached it. The clearing.

He slowed down and time seemed to stop all together. He took a deep breath, adjusted his bow tie, pushed back his hair and cleared his throat. looking for all the little things to keep him from taking that step that would show him one of his biggest fears. It was too late - the time had come.

He took one step at a time and each step he took seemed to be the oudest thing on earth. With each step hsi heart grew louder and louder. Until he saw her. His TARDIS and everything stopped. Time stopped. The beating of his heart. His breathing.

The Doctor fell to his knees and clutched his chest. His TARDIS was ... dead. The wood was worn and rotten. The paint peeling off of the wood and in some places the wood had snapped and this left her crooked and crippled. The windows were smashed and the bulb on the top was before him. Finally throughout the whole thing, throughout the body of the TARDIS, were vines. Vines and all sorts of foliage had grown through everything like snakes that feasted on her carcass. In The Doctor's head, they moved and writhed and taunted him, whispering like little demons that mocked him.

He was snapped out of his nightmare when he felt a hand on his left shoulder.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. The Doctor stood up to see who it was and his face relaxed when he saw it Clara. She gave him a big hug. River, on the other hand, pulled out her portable stability monitor and walked over to the TARDIS.

"Doctor?" She said. He pulled himself off of Clara and walked over to inspect her monitor. He was holding himself together unbelievably well, Clara thought.

"I think we might learn something about The Plague from this." River said. Clara wandered over, now interested. She didn't understand the numbers on the screen so River proceeded to explain.

"The TARDIS is old, as you know, but it isn't the forest that has done this to her. She has had her 'soul' if you will, taken from her. The life force of the TARDIS. However, this is what kept her looking young and helping her survive some of the paradoxes from travelling around so much. So, when it was taken from her, so were the years she spent looking fresh. It took her history and her memories as well as her youth. This is why she looks the way she does - because it is almost as if she has spent her eternity here and therefore everything has grown around her."

"That's so sad." Clara said.

"But at the same time, it has given us a glimmer of insight into The Plague. If The Plague only feeds on Life Force or Souls, then the people it has eaten may not be dead!" River smiled.

"That's amazing!" Clara said.

"No..." The Doctor murmured under his breath. Both River and Clara looked at him, confused. "My TARDIS didn't...DIE...JUST SO YOU COULD GET TO THE BOTTOM OF YOUR BLOODY MYSTERY!" He said and then stormed off. He walked to a tree and then continued to hit his fist against the trunk whilst wiping away several tears. Clara left River to crunch numbers and wandered over to The Doctor.

"Hey." She said quietly.

"Hi." He replied.

"You know we didn't mean it like that."

"Sorry. I just... My TARDIS..."

"I know...But let's go get her back. Yeah?"

"Yeah. Let's do it."

They both walked back to River who was punching numbers into the her monitor.

"What's the plan professor?" The Doctor said.

"Well, I have found that the cracks in the desert, caused by heat, also correspond with an underground."

"Coincidence." Clara muttered.

"Tell me about it. Nonetheless, there is an entrance not far from here. If we can get in undetected, we might be able to work out what is going on and defeat The Plague." The Doctor claps his hands together.

"Let's do it."


	6. Chapter 6: Places New and Memories Old

The forest was getting darker as night time drew near. Clara could feel the small first drops of rain on her face. All of a sudden, River shouted from the front:

"STOP!" and Clara felt The Doctor's hand hit her chest as he stopped her. Although, Clara could see no obvious threat and so for a while, was confused. River pointed out that the entrance should be somewhere in the floor where they were standing. So they all began to search for any signs of an entrance. The ground was soft and squelched under Claras feet, thanks to the now pouring rain. There was one point that she was adament she had found the entrance. She took a step and the ground sunk violently and out of sheer panic she brough her feet together meaning she was fully stood over what she knew wasn't ground. She couldn't be sure if there was even a door there and that made her scared.

"Doctor..." She announced shakily.

"What is it Clara?" He responded from quite a distance away.

"I...I found the entrance..." She stammmered. The Doctor and River ran over and looked at Clara but she held her hand up to signal them to stay put. She was vernous that her hand shook violently. The Doctor grabbed her hand and kissed it assuring her that 'everything will be ok' and that 'we are going to get you out of this'.

Clara kept looking down and up and down again, all the while holding onto The Doctor's hand. She began to cry softly. River was still crunching number to try and find out what was under Clara's feet. The longer it took, the more panicked River looked for Clara's sake. The Doctor decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Clara! Look at me... Look at me Clara!" He spoke calmly and firmly to her.

"We know that I am standing somewhere safe so I want you to come to me, ok?" She was hesitant and bit her lip.

"You've got to trust me Clara, do you trust me?" River looked up from her monitor. Clara nodded. River continued her work without saying a word.

"So, you're going to come towards me, ok?" Clara nodded again.

"Nice and slowly. As slow as you can." Clara closed her eyes and slowly but carefully lifted one foot from the ground. The moss and wet grass underfoot clung to the sole of her shoe. She was trying as hard as she could not to shake but it was proving difficult given it was falling dark, raining and she was possibly about to fall to her death. She placed her foot down as gently as she could. A cracking sound was sent up her spine and she gripped even harder to The Doctor's hand.

"It's ok...It's ok... Keep coming..." She pulled up her second foot and slowly moved it across the ground. She placed it on the ground and the crack once again sent shivers down her spine. She prepared to make the last step and she lifted her foot up again. She sped up more than the other steps but it didn't matter. She placed her foot on the ground and breathed a huge sigh of relief. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight.

"Don't ever scare me like that again" he whispered into her ear.

"I'll try" She said, smiling. The Doctor, still holding her hand turned towards River who was making her way over. As Clara took a step with the Doctor, the floor cracked underneath her feet. Her face dropped and River noticed. River began to run and The Doctor turned as Clara fell through the floor. The Doctor was pulled down with her and held her over the edge of a pit by her hand. Clara screamed:

"CLARA! DON'T LET GO!" His hand was wet with rain but also, hers was sweaty from running. Things didn't look hopeful. River lay down beside him and reached for Clara's free hand. They both held on as tightly as they could.

"DOCTOR!" Clara screamed over the winds howling from beneath her.

"I NEED TO LET GO!" She shouted. The Doctor was getting deja vu for some reason. Clara was scared and for this reason crying. She sniffed before continuing.

"THIS IS THE WAY IN AND IF WE ARE GOING TO FIND THOSE PEOPLE, I NEED TO GO DOWN HERE!" She wanted to brush the tears from her face but she couldn't. The Doctor was getting tearful.

"NO CLARA! I'M NOT LETTING YOU GO! I'M GOING TO SAVE YOU! I CAN DO SOMETHING THIS TIME AND I'M GOING TO!" He shouted tearfully before looking at River. River slid her spare hand over to the Doctor's.

"She's right."

"NO! I'M NOT - NOT GOING TO LOSE THEM AGAIN!" River let go of Clara's hand. The Doctor clung on. Clara was still crying but she knew it was the right thing to do.

"DOCTOR PLEASE!"

"I CAN'T!" Clara began to cry once more and the Doctor couldn't help but remember the tears of Amy. Clara then saw her sweaty hand gradually sliding from The Doctor's.

"DOCTOR?" She shouted. He glanced at her from sobbing eyes.

"Geronimo." She laughed as her hand slid from the Doctor's. He screamed and cried some more and River had to hold on to him so that he wouldn't follow her.

Clara was falling for what seemed like hours and the wind brushing past her, dried her tears. Then the wind stopped - there was a smack - she felt excruciating pain from her legs upward and everything...

went black...


	7. Chapter 7: Skin and Bones

Clara pryed her eyes open despite the pain rushing through her body. The room was dark but not so dark that she couldn't see. She hadn't expected the fall to hurt so much even though she had anticipated it, it was still nothing like what she had imagined. She managed to lift herself up and look down at her legs. They did't look broken but she couldn't feel or move them. She looked to her side and noticed her bag was missing. She didn't think Bard was in it but she also wasn't sure if he had limbed out while she was hanging. She looked around and clocked her bag hanging not too high up after snagging on a rock during her fall. She moved her arm and found something to lean on. Gradually as she pulled herself up, she managed to work out where about she was in relation to where she had fallen from. The hole was directly above her but such a way away. Nonetheles she could just see shadows moving which she hoped meant that the River and The Doctor were still about up at the top. She had managed to stand up more or less but was relying heavily on the walls around her. She grabbed her satchel and flung it over her head. Bard was not in it. She opened it up and found her phone, one biscuit and a bottle of water.

She started to tap her legs and hope she would start to feel but all she could feel was more pain. Still leaning against the rocky and moist wall, she esdge around the corner and peered into the dark. She could see in the distance a wall torch and figured it would be sensible to head towards it. As she limped down the tunnel, she wondered what The Doctor and River were doing. Whether they were going to try and follow her or not.

She reached the torch and picked it up. She was beginning to get some sort of feeling in her legs now. She was only holding onto the wall to steady herself now. The further she got into the tunnels, the more she could wear that she could hear something.

The Doctor and River were sat by the entrance to the tunnel. The Doctor was still very upset and River was trying to console him.

"Come on, she is going to be fine."

"River please... It happened again, I let them go..."

"You're being ridiculous. I'm going to find Clara - you can sit here and mope if you like but I think you'd would be better off coming with me." River pulled out her monitor again and loaded the map of the tunnels. Bard jumped out of the bushes and scrambled up to River. He must have gotten out of Clara's bag earlier and run through the forest because he was covered in super long vines. River pulled them off of him and sat next to the Doctor again. She began fashioning a long rope out of the vines.

Clara was still wandering through the hallways with her torch. The moaning was more obvious now but Clara still couldn't work out where it was coming from. She continued to wander aimlessly. Suddenly, she tripped over something and fell - hard. The torch hit the floor but luckily didn't set anything else on fire. Clara turned around to see what she had tripped over but it was to dark. She picked up the torch again, stood up and dusted herself off. She slowly stepped over towards where she had tripped and saw something unbelieveable. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a foot. She stumbled back at first and calmed herself. Then she continued forward and confirmed that it was a foot. Then she came closer and closer and followed what it was attached to. Then she saw the body and it was grim. The body was not quite a skeleton but it might as well have been. There was no muscle on it, the bones were thin but the skin was still clinging on. It hung from the frame of the person like the last few strands of meat on stewed chicken. Clara felt sick looking at the flesh that clung to the figureless being. This meant it was even more scary when the person moved and groaned. It was still alive. She clamped her hand over her mouth and knelt down before shuffling closer to it.

"Hello?" She whispered. The person groaned. Its mouth was open and the sounds it made were dry and crackly. The lips pressed together but were cracked and bloody.

"Here," she said.

"Maybe this'll help" She retrieved the bottle of water from her satchel and stood up. She walked over and sat herself by where the head was leaning. She pressed the bottle to the persons lips and tilted it up. The water spilt out of the mouth and Clara saw that she was going to have to help. She slowly put her hand under the persons chin and tilted that up also. Then she poured the water down the person's throat and they coughed. Her hand was still under the person's chin - it felt bony and without muscle. The skin hanging on it was dry and limp, it made Clara feel sickly. The person started to become slightly more conscious. It seemed the water was doing them some good. Her vocabulary became slightly more translatable.

"M...M..." Clara signaled for them to keep trying with her hand.

"Mu...Mu..." Clara understood now.

"Mummy?" She tried. Zahira was frail but managed to find the strength to nod her head. Then Clara heard a thud from the end of the corridor - the end that she had walked down.

"Hold on." She said. She put down all her stuff by Zahira and rested her head on the soft moss growing on the wall. She jogged down the corridor, holding the torch tightly. She reached the hole she had fallen down. A vine with several knots was dangling from the top. She ran past and hid behind the corner opposite it. She knew she would regret but she blew out the torch.

River was sat at the top of the hole and said;

"Well, are you coming?" She said, pulling out her blaster gun and loading it.

"It depends, why are you bringing a gun?"

"Who knows what's down there." River said. The Doctor hesitated before saying.

"Well, at least be conservative with it."

"Aren't I always?" She said before winking and sliding down the rope vine. She landed on her feet and looked around, using her monitor as a light. All of a sudden she turned and took aim in practically a split second. Clara dropped the torch and threw her hands in the air. River lowered her gun and sighed. Clara said;

"I think I found something that supports what we found earlier...about souls and life force..." The Doctor dropped down beside them and nodded at Clara. She nodded back. Clara returned to her conversation with River:

"Let me show you." She ran off into the darkness of the tunnel until she reached Zahira.

"Good God!" exclaimed River. She then fell to her side and began scanning her with another one of her many portable devices. After getting a conclusion she said;

"That's it - The Plague sucks the life force out of you. She has no muscles... It's just her bare skin clinging to her dying bones. An endless torture."

"When I was down here, I heard lots of groaning, do you think there's more of them?"

"Could be, there were several accounts of 'swallowings'" said River.

"I think I can help these people but I can't be sure. I say you two go ahead and try to get to the bottom of it - I'll stay here and do what I can."

"Ok then." said Clara and she wandered off to get another torch. The Doctor gestured to be given River's monitor.

"Well, we need to know where we're going don't we?" He said smiling. She reluctantly handed over her monitor but used the oppurtunity to take his hand.

"Be careful and don't get cocky." She whispered, smiling. He smiled back and kissed her hand.

Clara was stood with the torch in her hand as The Doctor neared.

"Ready?" She sounded excited.

"I think we should head to this area here" The Doctor pointed to a large circle in the center of the monitor screen. "It's most likely to be where anything big will hide. It's also directly underneath where people said they saw the ground open up." Clara nodded her head and then began their trek to the centre of the tunnels.


	8. Chapter 8: Human

They had been walking for half an hour in complete silence. They would have chatted up a storm but the tension was too high. Zahira was not the only person who had been confined to an eternal torture on the floor of the tunnels. There was a whole load of bodies thrown across the floors of the tunnels. There were masses of bodies piled upon each other and the sickly look of their muscle-less bodies made Clara gag. She couldn't look at them, it was so sad. The more conscious bodies moaned and gargled in pain. They were constantly stepping over arms and legs and in some cases heads.

Eventually, they made it to the centre and The Doctor peered round the corner of the passage they were in. Nothing could be seen straight ahead of him but as he looked up he could see lines in the roof. The lines had light streaming through them which suggested that they were cracks rather than just lights. They also looked similar to the cracks in the desert which implied that they were and not just some architectural design. The Doctor stepped into the centre and felt around the wall. Clara stayed put but turned around to watch his back. The Doctor realised this wall was different from the others as it was smooth and dry. He felt a bump that he recognised as a light switch and therefore flicked it. At the top of the room a string of lights, that followed the circumference of the room, lit up and showed an empty room except for a strange machine that sat in the middle.

The Doctor stood up - confident that nobody was around - and beckoned Clara in. She followed and put her torch in an empty torch holder that was not too far back down the tunnel they had just walked through. The Doctor pulled his sonic screwdriver out of his breast pocket and began scanning the machine.

It looked like a dentists chair made out of steel and it was incredibly shiny. On the armrests there were black leather straps that looked like belts. More of the belts were where the legs would rest and where the throat would be. A holster on the side of the headrest held a tube like the sort of thing you would see on a hoover but attached to it was something that looked like goggles. The tube then ran directly to the ground.

The Doctor, after scanning the machine, follwed the tube to a cabinet that he hadn't spotted previously. However, before The Doctor had a chance to examine the cabinet, Noises coming from the tunnel on the other side of the room caused him to run, switch the light off and hide in the shadows of the tunnel they had entered in.

A large, crimson creature that had a hunchback and huge, muscley legs crawled into the cave-like room. Its hunched over back caused it to walk on all fours. From its mouth grew two horrendous fangs that would shame the tusks of an elephant. Across its hunched back were enormous spikes and they were tipped with green that The Doctor thought was fairly obvious to be poison. The creature stumbled across the room and behind it followed a similar creature that was smaller but green. The Doctor decided that he might be able to hide better if the tunnel was dark. Trying to be quick but quiet, he turned around to extinguish the torch Clara had hung up. It took him some time though as extinguising a torch is difficult when you can't wave it about because alien creatures could see it and eat you. But it was at that moment, The Doctor heard the creatures making an awful racket with banging and crashing and snarling and growling so he seized the oppurtunity and blew the torch out. Luckily for him, it worked.

"Hhhhhuuuummmaaannn..." The red one hissed to the green one. They then went over to the machine and began to feel for the different components and prepare them. It was at that moment that The Doctor established that the creatures were blind. The Doctor relaxed at this because he wasn't confident that hiding in the shadows would have done him much good given the circumstances. He turned around and whispered to Clara;

"I think they're blind."

But Clara wasn't there. When the Doctor had heard the beasts entering the room earlier, he had forgotten to warn Clara who was still in there. The Doctor, now in panic mode, tried to determine where she was hiding. He scanned the entire room but couldn't see her. The green one left the room and returned with a package. He had just found Clara. The banging and crashing that he had used to blow out the torch...was them discovering her.


	9. Chapter 9: Gold Dust

They had been walking for half an hour in complete silence. They would have chatted up a storm but the tension was too high. Zahira was not the only person who had been confined to an eternal torture on the floor of the tunnels. There was a whole load of bodies thrown across the floors of the tunnels. There were masses of bodies piled upon each other and the sickly look of their muscle-less bodies made Clara gag. She couldn't look at them, it was so sad. The more conscious bodies moaned and gargled in pain. They were constantly stepping over arms and legs and in some cases heads.

Eventually, they made it to the centre and The Doctor peered round the corner of the passage they were in. Nothing could be seen straight ahead of him but as he looked up he could see lines in the roof. The lines had light streaming through them which suggested that they were cracks rather than just lights. They also looked similar to the cracks in the desert which implied that they were and not just some architectural design. The Doctor stepped into the centre and felt around the wall. Clara stayed put but turned around to watch his back. The Doctor realised this wall was different from the others as it was smooth and dry. He felt a bump that he recognised as a light switch and therefore flicked it. At the top of the room a string of lights, that followed the circumference of the room, lit up and showed an empty room except for a strange machine that sat in the middle.

The Doctor stood up - confident that nobody was around - and beckoned Clara in. She followed and put her torch in an empty torch holder that was not too far back down the tunnel they had just walked through. The Doctor pulled his sonic screwdriver out of his breast pocket and began scanning the machine.

It looked like a dentists chair made out of steel and it was incredibly shiny. On the armrests there were black leather straps that looked like belts. More of the belts were where the legs would rest and where the throat would be. A holster on the side of the headrest held a tube like the sort of thing you would see on a hoover but attached to it was something that looked like goggles. The tube then ran directly to the ground.

The Doctor, after scanning the machine, follwed the tube to a cabinet that he hadn't spotted previously. However, before The Doctor had a chance to examine the cabinet, Noises coming from the tunnel on the other side of the room caused him to run, switch the light off and hide in the shadows of the tunnel they had entered in.

A large, crimson creature that had a hunchback and huge, muscley legs crawled into the cave-like room. Its hunched over back caused it to walk on all fours. From its mouth grew two horrendous fangs that would shame the tusks of an elephant. Across its hunched back were enormous spikes and they were tipped with green that The Doctor thought was fairly obvious to be poison. The creature stumbled across the room and behind it followed a similar creature that was smaller but green. The Doctor decided that he might be able to hide better if the tunnel was dark. Trying to be quick but quiet, he turned around to extinguish the torch Clara had hung up. It took him some time though as extinguising a torch is difficult when you can't wave it about because alien creatures could see it and eat you. But it was at that moment, The Doctor heard the creatures making an awful racket with banging and crashing and snarling and growling so he seized the oppurtunity and blew the torch out. Luckily for him, it worked.

"Hhhhhuuuummmaaannn..." The red one hissed to the green one. They then went over to the machine and began to feel for the different components and prepare them. It was at that moment that The Doctor established that the creatures were blind. The Doctor relaxed at this because he wasn't confident that hiding in the shadows would have done him much good given the circumstances. He turned around and whispered to Clara;

"I think they're blind."

But Clara wasn't there. When the Doctor had heard the beasts entering the room earlier, he had forgotten to warn Clara who was still in there. The Doctor, now in panic mode, tried to determine where she was hiding. He scanned the entire room but couldn't see her. The green one left the room and returned with a package. He had just found Clara. The banging and crashing that he had used to blow out the torch...was them discovering her.

He watched her begin dragged by her feet - completely unconscious. The monster then viciously threw her onto the machine and began to feel for her limbs and place them in the appropriate places. Then the monster strapped her down placed the goggles over her eyes. The Doctor boldly stepped into the room. He made sure to stay quiet but until he knew what to do, Clara was just going to have stay put. The monster flicked a switch and the machine whirred into life, unaware of The Doctor's presence. Clara was awake at this point and when the machine began working - she screamed.

The Doctor saw a gold dust flowing from her eyes and down the tube. As it did, Clara still screamed in agony. Her lovely, elegant arms began to shrink and wither. The Doctor realised that she began resembling the bodies outside and knew he had to stop it. He silently reached across and pushed the switch. And Clara stopped screaming.

He stood up:

"Well that was quite a show" The monsters turned and growled suddenly.

"But I think it's time you surrender now - save yourself some time."

"Hhhhhuuuummmaaannn..." They snarled.

"Not quite boys - I'm what you could call... Your worst nightmare. And this is my friend. Are you going to let her go?" The red one took his claw and ran it under the arm straps and snapped the leather.

"Now what are you lot up to..." He began pacing the floor, circling them. He rubbed his hands together as he improvised plans.

"What could you possibly need the souls of innocent people for?!" He began to shout. The beasts said nothing but one of them glanced at the cabinet briefly. The Doctor followed it's gaze and walked up to the cabinet and flung the doors open. Inside we're hundreds of glass jars - some filled with a swirling gold dust and others empty. In the reflection of the back of the cabinet he saw the beasts backing out of the room. He turned on his heels and demanded;

"What's out there then? What are you running to?" He followed them into the tunnel at the other end of the room and they reached another massive room; inside which was a ginormous mass of of skin. At the top of the mass was a pair of antenna, on top of which was a pair of eyes.

"Greetings Time Lord." It boomed, without moving any form of mouth.

"Hello. How come I can understand you then?" The Doctor was disproving and defensive and so folded his arms.

"I am fluent in most languages and luckily for you, The Earth Language of English happens to be my mother tongue."

"Yes...Lucky me indeed..."

"What brings you to this planet Time Lord? You shouldn't really be interfering in the affairs of others now, should you."

"I'm on vacation. Quite an operation you've got here, isn't it. Might I ask what for?" There was a pause before the monster continued. The two fanged creatures stood guarding the door.

"A long time go, I left my planet to search the stars for a new home with sufficient food sources. We had exhausted those of our last home and I volunteered to go and explore. However, my ship crashed into this world and my minions-" He said nodding at the creatures,

"-And I lost the only food on board. I then got sick due to the climate of this atmosphere. My minons used the scrap from our wrecked vessel to construct the machine you see in there."

"Yes," The Doctor cut him off,

"I believe my friend is strapped in it." The monster seemed not to acknowledge this remark.

"We used it to suck the souls out of the life of this planet. You see, we feed on energy and life energy is the second rarest under time energy. We were incredibly lucky to find a Type 40 TARDIS recently." The Doctor was getting gradually more angry.

"I can see you are getting agitated Time Lord. Why does this situation matter to you? You are not of this world - it is of no concern to you." The Doctor was fuming at this point and he decided to let him have it.

"I'll tell you why it angers me - because it is unjust! You sucked your planet dry and simply moved onto the next one! You learned the language of the humans but you didn't think to learn from their mistakes, did you?! They are gradually eating and using the materials of their home with no concern for their futures. It's bad enough that you are killing this planet, which isn't even yours, but you are killing innocent peopl to do it! My name is The Doctor and there is a reason that they call me that. I have a responsibility to this galaxy - this universe. To help - to heal - to keep things from falling apart and also to prevent stoppable deaths! So, for someone like you who kills and kills and kills and kills and KILLS, I am your worst nightmare. First you take my TARDIS - now my best friend and the innocent people strewn throughout those tunnels. I will put an end to this and you will not have any time to think - Say your goodbyes, you fat blob of filth - This is the end for you."

And with that, the Doctor stormed out of the room, pushing past the minions. He stopped took a deep breath and wandered over to Clara who looked as awful as the people in the tunnnels. She was barely alive and her breathing was thin and labored. He grabbed her hand and leant down to her ear.

"Clara..." he whispered.

"You have had part of your soul removed and you are not recovering well... I need to get you back to the TARDIS...But first I just have to retrieve the TARDIS..." The minion creatures were a few feet behind the Doctor now and the monster from inside the other room had pulled himself through the door.

"In order to do that, I am going to have to do something very, very stupid that might not work. Just relax and think light thoughts. If it doesn't work - I am very, very sorry. But don't work, it'll probably work." Then he picked up Clara by putting an arm under her legs and an arm around her back and lifting her up with ease. He sat her down by the exit (which, although it is confusing, was the tunnel they had come in through so technically it was the entrance. He then whipped out his sonic and buzzed it at the machine. Sparks flew out and it began to smoke. The massive beast began to chuckle;

"Nice try, Doctor. I have enough souls stored to feed me for at least several months - in that time we can build another of those machines."

But The Doctor hadn't finished. He sauntered over to the cabinet in the corner of the room and flung the doors open. The jar inside had the dust flowing inside them. The monster was flinching on the other side of the room. The Doctor took his time selecting a jar and after a good few minutes, he picked one up and with tremendous force, smashed it on the ground.


	10. Chapter 10: Noose

The soul inside was free and it rose up in the air around the Doctor - almost thanking him. Then it shot off towards and Clara and flew into her eyes. Her mouth dropped open and she was able to breath normally again. Her arms and legs swelled and her muscles grew back. The sensation was so massive that it exhausted Clara. Her legs buckled even further, despite the newly formed muscles surrounding them. The Doctor saw the fear in the alien eyes of the monster. He put his arm inside the cabinet and reached all the way back. Then he curved his arm around the back of the jars and pulled his arm towards hims sending the top shelf of jars flying to the floor. The millions and millions of atoms making up the souls flew into the air and shot out of the door. He could hear the sounds of joy from people as they awoke and saw that they were alive. He repeated it with all the shelves until all of the souls were free. When he was finished, The Doctor noticed a jar with golden hinges stored in the bottom, in which the souls was raging and fighting to get out.

"That's my girl!" He celebrated. He threw it into the air and stepped back. The jar smashed and the golden sprite shot out. It then, without hesitation, flew straight at the beast and into it's eyes. The beast groaned in delight as his head was filled with unimaginable knowledge.

"You have made a horible mistake Doctor... You have given me the power to claim this world as my own - you have brought about your own demise!" He screamed. His booming voice shaking the cave.

"Actually, If I could correct you, I believe that I have brought your demise - If you think you can store the entirity of space and time in your head then by all means, go ahead but I've been where you are - with that knowledge inside me - and let's just say that that version of me didn't survive it."

He jogged over to Clara and picked her up.

"Gentlemen, I bid you farewell because whether you have realised it or not but that chair which I...fiddled with - well, it's about to explode so... good luck with that because by the look of it, you won't be fast enough to escape it. "

He glanced at River's monitor and saw several life forms making their way through the tunnels, up the entrance and out to freedom - except for one life form who was stood at the entrance and lingering around... waiting for someone...

He put the monitor in his pocket and adjusted Clara in his arms so that they were both comfortable. He said to himself;

"Come on then old boy - prepare for a run..."

And he was away, into the darkness and down the long dark tunnel that would lead him out. Unfortunately, the route he was choosing was one long tunnel so if he didn't get some distance, they would be two burnt out carcasses in the middle of the tunnel.

Behind him, he heard the screams of the beast as his TARDIS fought back inside his brain.

"See you on the other side, old girl." he said as he ran through the passages.

Clara's weight was starting to prove a hinderence and he felt his knees beginning to buckle. He could see River at the end and when she spotted them, she ran up and took some of Clara's weight.

"How are we going to get her up there?" River exclaimed. The Doctor was banging his fists against his skull for an idea, knowing how precious his time was. Then it clicked.

"Do you think everyone else is still up there?" He said. River shrugged. The Doctor then ran to the vine and used it to climb up the wall. He nearly lost his footing when some loose rock fell out from underneath his feet. He eventually made it to the top and saw quite a few of the villagers standing, some kneeling and one or two sitting. Those standing were hugging each other, those kneeling praying and worshipping the sun and the others who were sitting were just getting to grips with the fact that they had escaped. The Doctor knew that the TARDIS translation matrix would not be up and running yet as she was still killing off the beast. He attempted to try and get the villager's help through mime...

Back down in the mine, River had got the vine in her hand and lay it across the floor. Clara was coming to now and while she couldn't move very much, she could just about stand and steady herself. River pulled the end of the vine and tied it to the part that was dangling down so that it assembled a noose. She tested the strength of it with her foot by placing it inside the loop. The Doctor popped his head over the hole and gave her a thumbs up. River moved Clara to the noose and placed her foot in the loop while Clara held onto the vine itself. The Doctor and the villagers began to pull, as River watched from below. Despite her lack in strength, Clara steadied herself well.

As she reached the top, she held out for The Doctor's hand which he gave her. Some of the villagers let go of the vine and also pulled her up. In celebration, all the villagers threw their hands in the air and cheered. In a frenzy, The Doctor tried to grab the vine before it slid down the hole but he missed by a whiskers width. He looked down the hole and saw River trapped. Nonetheless, she gazed back at him and smiled. He looked panicked but River was calm. He watched her walk out into the tunnel and pull the gun from her holster. She then walked backwards step-by-step until he couldn't see her anymore.

River was eyeing up the green and red monster scrambling towards her. She took a careful aim and shot one right in the chest - dead. The other kept running at her and she had to wait until her blaster loade another shot. She heard a cry of pain from the bottom of the tunnel and saw a glistening, golden, powder like substance shoot up the hole from which she had entered. She kept moving backwards to give herself sometime. She took a shot to his head but missed and hit his leg which exploded into lots of messy, bloody pieces. Then she heard the worst thing. An explosion. And from the bottom of the tunnel, she saw fire and shrapnel, heading straight for her. She turned and ran. I wasn't fast moving fire but it was quicker than she was. Before, she could think of saying her good byes, she heard a familiar vworping from ahead of her and tears of joy fell from her eyes as The Doctor opened the door to the TARDIS and held out his hand for her. A few seconds before she had reached it, he turned and shouted;

"NOW!" to Clara who was waiting with her hand on the thrusters.

The TARDIS began to materialise as she felt herself being pulled inside by The Doctor's hand. They fell on the floor in a heap and the door slammed shut behind them. Before it did, she saw the fiery blaze reaching where she had been running, not 3 seconds ago.


	11. Chapter 11: Clouds

The Doctor landed the TARDIS with the handbrake on, as always. Clara was asleep in one of the chairs around the console with the Doctor's signature twead jacket draped over her. River stood by the door, looking out the window. The Doctor slowly sidled up to her and put his arm around her waist, resting his hand on her hip.

"I've brought you somewhere that I hope you'll like. Theoretically it's safer than your last holiday destination but knowing you, Mrs Song, you'll find a way to cause trouble." He said, smiling."

"Promise me that you'll come and cause trouble with me some day." She said, not moving her gaze from the frosted window pane.

"I'll try but I think I've done enough today" He sighed, turning to look at the snoozing Clara. He pulled his arm from around her and flung open the doors. A cool breeze shot through the door and River smiled at the view before her. A world made upon clouds where strange winged animals flew from left to right. Houses made from coloured glass added to the beauty.

"And the best thing is..." He said getting behind her.

"No gravity!" He shouted and gave her a good shove out of the door. She hovered in mid-air laughed. All of a sudden he felt a rush of wind as Clara (who had been woken by the wind entering from outside) sprinted past and jumped out of the door. The Doctor laughed and then said;

"Well, we had better go then."

"If you think I'm leaving now then you're off your rocker!" Clara shouted back. River folded her arms and looked intently at the Doctor. He rolled his eyes, ran to get his jacket and dived out of the door.

The TARDIS doors shut automatically behind him and she sunk down until the TARDIS was gently resting on a cloud. As Clara looked over the edge of one of the clouds, she saw something she recognised and it made it her laugh as she couldn't believe that this world had been above her all this time.

As Clara looked down, she saw London.


End file.
